The property owners want some service they typically can't get with the township. ... Wisconsin is one of the few states that have town government. They have disappeared in most states or never existed in the first place. Town officials aren't comfortable hearing that.

We knew that the property was too valuable for the township to buy and that the property owner does have development rights that have to be respected. So the question became what we can do at that property that is the least objectionable.

This is all in addition to what property owners are paying now.

Christa is one of several downtown property owners converting upper stories to housing.

Typically if I take [a buyer] out to a property and we get stood up by the tenant, that reflects badly on me and I may lose that buyer. But if that buyer has told me 'look, Tim, don't worry about these kinds of things,' then I have permission to attack those sorts of problems and they can result in a very good buy.

I want the pressure to stay on the owners of the property to make something happen,